Deadly attacks mar Israel peace talks

JERUSALEM – Two deadly weekend attacks against Israeli troops by Palestinians, including the slaying of an unarmed Israeli Air Force sergeant who police say was lured to a West Bank village, killed and then dumped in a well, places new hurdles in ongoing peace talks there.

In the other attack, a Palestinian sniper fired a shot at an Israeli soldier in the West Bank city of Hebron on Sunday afternoon, officials said. The soldier died on the way to a Jerusalem hospital.

Senior Israeli leaders in the coalition government said the violence not only increased tensions but also signaled that Israel does not have a partner for peace. Some Israeli lawmakers said no more Palestinian prisoners should be released, one of the preconditions agreed to by Israel to get negotiations with the West Bank government going.